Three Easy Ways You Can Promote NDEP Messages during National Diabetes Month

This November, in recognition of National Diabetes Month, the NDEP is promoting the theme, “Make a plan to prevent diabetes and its complications.” Managing or preventing diabetes is hard work. But making a plan can make achieving health goals easier. This November, use NDEP’s National Diabetes Month campaign materials to encourage people in your community to make a plan and set goals that will work for them—whether they have diabetes or are at risk for the disease.

Having trouble figuring out how to promote National Diabetes Month? NDEP has three easy ways that you can get involved and spread the word in your community!

Link to the NDEP website: Post NDEP web buttons to your organization’s website and encourage your partners to do the same.

Share our articles: Post one of NDEP’s many ready-to-use articles on your website or in your organization’s newsletter.

Engage using social media: Like and comment on NDEP Facebook posts, retweet NDEP messages, and share NDEP videos.

October is National Family Health Month: Encourage Families to Work Together to Prevent or Manage Diabetes

During National Family Health Month in October, family physicians urge Americans to take a closer look at their health by conducting a personal health inventory. Because many diseases—including diabetes—run in families, understanding family health history is important to any health inventory. And making the necessary changes to improve health is easier with the support of loved ones. This October, join the NDEP in recognizing National Family Health Month by encouraging people in your community to learn about their family health history and to work with their family members to prevent or manage diabetes. Distribute NDEP’s Family History feature articles to local media or through your organization’s newsletter, share NDEP’s Family History print PSAs with your local newspapers or area magazines, put up NDEP’s Family History posters in locations where people with or at risk for diabetes will see them, and post the Family Health History & Diabetes 4 Questionsweb button to your organization’s website.

Exploring NDEP’s Diabetes HealthSense

NDEP’s Diabetes HealthSense is an online library of resources that helps people live well and achieve their goals—whether they have diabetes or are at risk for the disease. Each month, NDEP will explore a different resource to help familiarize you with what’s available in Diabetes HealthSense.

We learn lifelong habits at an early age—and often from our parents. Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids, a booklet from the WellPoint Foundation, encourages parents to teach their kids healthy behaviors by leading by example. The colorful pages are filled with quick facts about childhood obesity and tips for eating more fruits and veggies—including what to do about picky eaters—and being active together. Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids is available for free in English and Spanish.

Announcements from NDEP & Partners

Partners Shine in NDEP’s Partner Spotlight
NDEP’s Partner Spotlight webpage is updated regularly to feature the great work that our partners are doing to promote NDEP. In October, the Spotlight is on the following partner:

The National Latina Health Network, highlighting examples of their work to use web channels to promote NDEP during National Diabetes Month

If your organization has recently promoted an NDEP campaign or resource in an innovative way, your organization could be featured in the next Partner Spotlight! If you would like to be featured, please complete the Partner Spotlight submission form and send the submission form along with any photos, media results, and contact information to Ashley Moore at amoore@hagersharp.com.

Flu Season & Diabetes
October is the start of flu season. It is important that people with diabetes get a flu shot. People with diabetes are more likely to get flu-related complications, and the flu may interfere with blood glucose management. Encourage people in your community—especially those living with diabetes—to get a flu shot. Click here for more information.

NDEP Has Tips for Working with the Media to Promote NDEP Campaigns Year-Round
NDEP is proud to offer a broad array of promotional materials, including fact sheets, template media materials, feature articles, and web buttons to help you promote diabetes prevention and control messages in your community. To help you find the best resources for your community and work effectively with media outlets in your area, the NDEP has developed the NDEP Promotional Toolkit for Partners. Section III of the toolkit, “Tips for Working with the Media,” provides helpful tips to guide you when working with local media and can be found on pages 7-8.

Mark Your Calendars: NDEP Resources You Can Use

NDEP has many resources that you can share at health fairs, conferences, educational sessions, or as part of your organization’s educational and social media outreach efforts. Check out the NDEP 2011 Outreach and Promotional Plan: At-a-Glance for more resources.

Using social media? So are we! Don’t forget to follow NDEP on Twitter @NDEP, “like” our page on Facebook, and look for our videos on YouTube. Feel free to “re-tweet” and share NDEP posts with your social media friends! Don’t wait for your monthly issue of News & Notes to learn what’s new and exciting from NDEP. Click on the RSS icon on the NDEP homepage to subscribe!

By using our promotional tools, everybody wins. Your constituents receive important health information, your organization receives good publicity, and you help NDEP continue to be the nation’s No. 1 resource for free information and materials on diabetes control and prevention. News & Notes features resources that tie into quarterly promotions and can help us promote NDEP together.

If you have any questions about NDEP’s resources, promotions efforts, and how you might help promote NDEP, please contact Diane Tuncer at diane.tuncer@nih.gov.

On the Road with NDEP

NDEP News & Notes is the monthly e-newsletter of the National Diabetes Education Program. These monthly updates are designed to keep you informed about NDEP activities and help you identify opportunities to incorporate our messages, products, and activities into your programs. Please keep your members and partners updated by forwarding this e-newsletter to them as well. Your help continues to be an invaluable part of our success. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at ndep@mail.nih.gov.

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